Miriah discreetly sent a message over her datapad as Corso walked to the edge of the porch, watching the robed rider dismount, his right hand lightly resting on Torchy's grip. "Welcome to the Riggs Ranch. Can we help you?" he asked, his eyes wary. He saw when Miriah had put her datapad away, out of the corner of his eye, and moved to stand between her and the stranger, who still had not spoken.
A Voss, Miriah thought. How strange. I didn't realize they ever left their world. Or at least not often.
Finally the tall blue figure spoke. "I am Terik-ko. I seek an audience with the Barsen'thor Magdalane Chantalle. Have I found the correct place?" He turned his orange eyes to Miriah. "You resemble her," he stated.
Miriah cleared her throat. "Magdalane is my sister. I will let her know you have come to see her," she said, moving toward the house. Only then did she realize she was relieved that the figure in the robe wasn't a Jedi, coming to assess her son. She reached Mags on the holo, and described the Voss to her.
"I worked with so many, but that name isn't familiar. We'll be over in a few minutes, if it's okay that we meet there," Mags said, her thoughtful frown making her look serious.
"Of course, it's fine," Miriah told her. "I'll cook dinner for everyone, and call Maura." She saw Mags nod at her and ended the call. Aric was totally on board with Miriah's cooking, and told her they'd be down in an hour, when the twins woke up. Miriah rejoined her husband and the Voss on the porch, bringing a pitcher of lemonade and some cookies.
They were seated at the little table across from the swing, and Corso was telling Terik about their time on Voss, leaving out the names since Miriah had stood trial for something she hadn't done and was acquitted. Miriah put the refreshments on the table and turned when she heard Devin coming down the hallway. She went to him, he took her hand, and they joined the others outside.
Devin went out into the grass where he'd left some toys, and the Voss watched him, curious. "Your son, he is a force user?"
Miriah took in a sharp breath, but said nothing. "He is, we recently discovered it," Corso said, a note of concern in his voice.
"I can feel it. I know you must be very proud of him," Tarik said. Devin had barely looked at the Voss, by now used to seeing alien beings. He must feel there's no danger, Corso thought, since he's not clinging to Miriah. He was processing that thought when he saw Felix and Mags coming. He crossed the porch to take Ian, and give Mags his arm up the steps. She smiled at her brother in law and reached her hand out to the Voss, who'd stood at her approach.
"Master Magdalane, I am most humbled to be in your company," he said, the reverence in his tone apparent to them all. "I am here to request the honor of your assistance in a matter of the Temple." Magdalane motioned for him to sit, and sat across from him. She carefully took the cup of tea that Miriah had brought her, and only when she'd had a chance to sip from it did she speak.
"I am honored that you would consider an outsider as a helper," she said, still looking into her cup. "When I was last at the temple, it was made apparent to me that as an outsider I wasn't entirely welcome." She watched Terik-ko as he fidgeted, and realized he might be asking for her help without the knowledge of the elders there. She remained silent, waiting for the Voss to respond.
Terik cleared his throat. "You were always welcome, there was more concern about your scientist than anything else. And your work with the visions was very revealing to us." He looked at his surroundings, realizing that anything he said could really go no further. "You are correct in thinking that I am here on my own authority. I had a series of visions, and in all of them, you came back to restore harmony to our Temple. I felt I must find you, if only to discuss these visions with you." Magdalane heard Ian begin to cry, and stood to go to him.
"That is my son, he's very young. I must see to him. Please, excuse me," she said, moving into the house. She took the moments of walking to the kitchen to review her time on Voss. Nothing had made sense there until she'd done the Trials, only then was she able to advance the Republic's diplomatic standing on the planet. Restore harmony, she wondered, how would I do that? She reached out for Ian, who was happily taking a bottle in his aunt Miriah's arms, and Miriah saw the worry on her face.
"Mags, want me to get rid of him? I can, you know." Miriah reached out and touched her sister's arm. "I can feel that you're wondering why he's here. I can be very persuasive."
Mags bit back a laugh, she had a feeling Miriah's persuasion might be at the end of a blaster, and Terik-ko would die of fright if not plasma. "I'll keep talking to him, I'm trying to wait him out a bit, see exactly what his motives are, before I say too much." Miriah nodded at her older sister, and turned to see her mother's speeder arriving. "I bet Mom felt the force disturbance," Mags said.
Sarai had indeed felt the Voss, and knew her Jedi daughter might need additional force power. She'd been elbow deep in her flowers, and brought some of what she'd cut with her, handing them now to Miriah as she entered the kitchen. "What the void is a Voss doing off planet? Why is he here, Mags?"
"I'm still working that out. He says something about restoring harmony to the Temple, and some visions he's had. He's talking around the point, like most Voss do." She stood and handed Ian to Miriah, turning to go back to the porch.
"Mags, don't let him talk you into anything you don't want to do, okay?" Miriah cautioned her sister. Mags nodded in response, and walked slowly back to where Terik-ko was still sitting, meditating.
"So what is it that you require of me, Tarik-ko?" Magdalane asked, resuming her seat and lifting her cup. The Voss struggled with himself and finally sighed.
"I would ask you to come to Voss, speak to the elders at the Temple. We need mediation, or else our people will be split again." He gave the Jedi a beseeching look, waiting for her answer.
"I will have to discuss this, with my family and husband. You understand that this isn't a decision I can arbitrarily make." Magdalane watched Tarik-ko accept her words and nod.
"I will return to the vessel I came on and await your answer. It was a great pleasure to speak to you, Barsen'thor." Tarik-ko stood and bowed to Magdalane. "Thank you for your hospitality, sister of the Jedi," he said, directing this to Miriah. He turned, and mounted the small rental speeder, never looking back as he left. Magdalane let out a sigh.
"I have no idea what to do now," she told Miriah, and they went inside.
"Aric and Maura are coming down for dinner, we'll all discuss it then," Miriah said, absently rubbing her middle. Magdalane noticed the gesture and smiled.
"Beginning to feel the changes already?" Mags asked. "It sure happens quickly with the second one."
"Some," Miriah told her. "Mostly, I'm amazed that the nausea hasn't returned at all since Dev pushed it away. I've been eating well and sleeping well, glad to be home." She saw Corso with Devin making their way across the yard then, Devin laughing and running around his dad. "I'm not the only one glad to be here. I think Corso has made a dozen trips to the barns since we got back." They moved inside to the kitchen, where Miriah started putting things together for the group dinner. Magdalane put water on for tea and grabbed Devin for a hug when he came bursting through the door.
"Dev, are you glad to be home?" Mags asked the animated little boy.
"Ronto big, Daddy laugh at them. Mama smile more. Like home," he told he aunt, beaming. He hugged her again, and got down, running to play with Michi.
Corso and Felix were outside, talking about the Voss' visit. "I swear, we just got home and they want us to go someplace else," Felix said, shaking his head. "I'm voting no on this one."
"I'm with you," Corso said, "I want Miriah resting and not stressed. She's been great since we got home, sleeping well and starting to show the tiniest bit." Here he grinned, and Felix smiled at him, knowing well the wonder of a woman's body as she grew a child. "I just want her relaxed and happy for a while. She deserves that, Logan deserves that." We all do, he thought.
"Maybe a holocall, or something, will suffice," Felix said, but he knew better. They were sitting in silence, content, when they saw Aric and Maura's speeder approaching the house. The twins erupted from the vehicle, laughing. Aric caught Maura's hand and they approached the house.
"Hey guys!" Aric called, joining the men on the porch. "Maura said you had a visitor. What's going on?"
Felix told him what he knew, but had no idea what Magdalane would want to do about it. "She spent a lot of time there, more than once we went back to study the visions." He shrugged at the other two. "She learned a great deal, she'd be a valuable asset to them in a conflict with the Imps." He sighed. "I really don't want her negotiating anything unless she can do it from here. I want to be home for a bit." Corso and Aric agreed.
The children played outside while Corso grilled. When they all sat down to eat, Miriah sat looking at her plate. She'd made several side dishes, all favorites, and she'd put a little of all of them on her plate. She waited for the nausea that didn't come, and grinned in Devin's direction as she picked up her fork. Magdalane saw her and laughed. "He did a good job, Mir. I think your nausea is done." Her smile stayed as she saw Miriah eat heartily, and made a mental note to speak to Devin about what he'd done.
Corso saw that his wife was eating as well, and felt happy. He couldn't wait to be able to see Logan, feel him inside her, see her change and become even more beautiful than she already was. He realized he'd gone from thinking about the baby to wanting her when she glanced up at him. He tried to look away, but couldn't break her gaze, and when she licked a crumb from her lip, he felt a spike of lust shoot through him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Magdalane startle, then turn to look at him, a broad smile on her face. Oh great, he thought, but then he saw her turn back to her sisters and continue their conversation. I owe her one, he vowed, Aric would have never let me have peace if she'd spoken.
Aric seemed oblivious as he continued to talk. "So if the Voss are having trouble with the Imps, why not just kick them off the planet? They invited them in the first place, so it seems to me like they just tell them to leave and it's done."
"You know as well as I do that it would never be as easy as that," Felix said. "Mags said the Imps there were more interested in the relics and ruins than the Temple, but maybe something changed." He glanced across the table where his wife was helping his daughter finish her dinner. "I don't want the kids down there. Any of them."
"Whoa, wait," Corso interjected. "Who said we were going anywhere? We haven't decided anything yet, have we?"
"No, we haven't," Felix said, "but you know how Mags thinks. If they need her, she'll feel obligated to help." He kept dejected eyes on the plate in front of him, but his wife felt his unease and left Michi to stand behind him, stroking his back gently.
"Felix, my love," she said softly, smiling as he turned to look at her. "I will indeed try to avoid going to Voss. I will give Terik-ko the holofrequency at the office and arrange a call. We can see, after that, what direction to go." She leaned forward and kissed him, and when she straightened, he nodded at her.
"There, all good," Aric said in a cheerful voice, making them all laugh.
Later, at home, Magdalane snuggled into Felix's arms and tried to reassure him. "I don't want to go to Voss, either," she said, squeezing him tighter. "I don't want to go anywhere anytime soon. I just want to enjoy the children and the office and being home." He kissed her head, stroking her back.
"I know, hon, but I also know you are unable to refuse a request for help." He sighed and closed his eyes, just as he heard Ian start to whimper. "I'll get him, sweetheart, you rest." He started to rise but Mags caught his arm.
"I love you, Felix," she told him. He kissed her, grinned, and went to feed his son.
Miriah was facing Corso's back, her arm slung over him, his hand holding hers to his chest over his heart. "I know that Mags wants to help the Voss, but I don't want to travel again so soon after the last trip." He felt her warm breath on his back, and it was making him want her again. Stars, he thought, I need to get a grip. She needs rest.
"We'll do what we have to, I suppose," he answered, bringing her hand to his lips. He realized she was wanting again too when she gently bit his shoulder, then licked his ear. He turned to see her grin, the desire in her silver eyes, and he was lost in her, thoughts of Voss very far away.